| SPIEGEL ONLINE | INTERNATIONAL NEWSLETTER |
| Compiled on December 18, 2013, 05:28 PM CET |
| MASKED ARMY Shadowy Jihadist Group Expands Rapidly in Syria A murderous Islamist group called ISIS is obstructing Syrian rebels in their battle against President Bashar Assad's regime. The Free Syrian Army seems barely able to put up a fight in the face of their brutal tactics. |
| TALIBAN REVENGE The Plight of Germany's Afghan Staff Berlin is under pressure following the murder of a former Afghan interpreter who worked for the German army. The Taliban had threatened him for working with foreign troops. But only a small number of Afghan staff are getting German residence permits. |
| BRUSSELS SUMMIT EU to Refocus on Stalled Defense Initiatives EU leaders are gathering in Brussels Thurday in an effort to shore up the bloc's common defense policy, amid growing doubts over whether Europe can bridge divergent national views on the continent's security role. |
| MERKEL SPEECH Chancellor Urges Reforms to Preserve Euro In the first parliamentary speech of her third term, German Chancellor Angela Merkel warned that Europe needs to take more action to make its single currency crisis-proof and urged states to undertake binding economic reforms. |
| PICTURE THIS Do They Know It's Christmas? |
